Fan Fawr

Rising directly across the A470 from the honey-pot peaks of the central Beacons, this bulky sandstone massif offers a wilder, quieter alternative to its famous neighbours. Often overlooked, its broad, peat-clad plateau provides a rugged sense of isolation and some of the finest profile views of the iconic Pen y Fan horseshoe.

• •The name is Welsh in origin, where Fan is a soft mutation of ban (meaning peak or summit) and fawr is a mutation of mawr (meaning great or large), effectively marking it as the 'Great Peak' of the Fforest Fawr uplands.
• •Despite its accessibility from the Storey Arms pass, the ascent is far less trodden than the 'Motorway' path opposite, making it a prized summit for those looking to tick off a Marilyn or Hewitt in relative peace.
• •The summit plateau offers a spectacular, unobstructed view across the Glyn Tarrell valley to the glacial north faces of Corn Du and Pen y Fan, providing a rare perspective on their true scale and profile.
• •Navigation can be surprisingly testing in low cloud; the top is a vast, featureless expanse of peat hags and grasses where the true summit cairn is easily missed without careful pacing or a compass.
• •To the north, the ground drops away into the Craig Cerrig-gleisiad National Nature Reserve, a dramatic glacial cirque where rare arctic-alpine plants survive on the steep, shaded sandstone cliffs.
• •It provides the perfect vantage point to sit in total silence and watch the literal hundreds of people crawling up the neighbouring peaks like a line of determined ants.